Digital imaging sensors such as charge coupled devices (CCDs) are now the predominant technology used to capture both still and moving images. Digital imaging sensors are embedded in mobile telephones, digital cameras and closed circuit television (CCTV) systems. Digital imaging sensors use individual photosensor elements in an array or matrix. Each element of the array is known as a pixel. Each pixel is a sample of an original image; more samples typically provide more accurate representations of the original. The total number of pixels in an image is often referred to as the resolution of the image. High resolution images and videos are typically compressed using algorithms to reduce the amount of data memory needed to store the images. The compression algorithms are used either as the raw image data is acquired or after the raw image data is downloaded to a computer for processing. Compression algorithms reduce the amount of memory required to store an image by reducing redundancy in the image. Very complex still images with a great deal of pixel to pixel diversity, and rapidly varying video signals where the image changes greatly from frame to frame, cannot be efficiently compressed.
The ubiquitous nature of digital imaging equipment makes it possible for images to be taken intentionally or inadvertently in locations where there is a desire to restrict or prohibit the recording of such images. This is especially true now that digital imaging equipment is often used in conjunction with unmanned vehicles that may be autonomous or controlled by an operator from a remote position. While unmanned vehicles have been used in military environments for some time, they are becoming increasingly available to the public. It is now common for hobbyists and flying enthusiasts to use unmanned vehicles for aerial photography and many other recreational purposes. Such technology has even become a common sight in toy aisles of many stores. These unmanned vehicles have also begun to appear over sports stadiums, national infrastructure sites and military installations within the United States which leaves these sites susceptible to unwanted surveillance by unknown parties.
Thus, a heretofore unaddressed need exists in the industry to prevent the capture and exploitation of sensitive images using digital imaging equipment.